2021: APC to rebuild party for stronger democracy

By Ihesiulo Grace

31 December 2020

News

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is poised to rebuild the party for a stronger democracy as part of its new year 2021 agenda.

Governor Mai Mala Buni and Sen. Akpan Udoedehe, Chairman and Secretary respectively of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary/Convention Planning Committee gave this assurance in a new year message on Thursday.

The party leadership said it will strive to achieve every set goals ahead of the June 30, 2021 date set for its exit.

The party as well promised that in line with the APC slogan, all its elected representatives in government will continue to do their best and work for justice, peace and unity in every part of Nigeria.

To recognise the party’s challenges and work to resolve them, the leaders said they are determined to constantly take steps to rebuild and reorient themselves to be able to develop the capacity and competence to serve Nigerians.

“Ability to rebuild ourselves require that we are able to make changes internally in our party.

“This is what we have decided since the decision of our National Executive Committee (NEC) of June 25, 2020. As a Caretaker Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, our mandate is clearly to lay a solid foundation for our party to rebuild itself.

“Part of it, which was unambiguously defined by the NEC resolutions of June 25, 2020 was to broker internal reconciliation and reconstitute our leadership. This was further affirmed by the NEC of December 8, 2020 and strengthened to cover the provision of credible and verifiable membership register for the party.

Accordingly, we will expedite internal process of reconciliation and harmoniously resolve all pending leadership disagreements in the party before our National Convention.

“Already, the process of membership registration/revalidation has commenced. Everything is being done to ensure that our party membership will be updated regularly, and membership registration will be a continuous exercise.

“Nobody will be disenfranchised. We therefore appeal to all our members and leaders at all levels to cooperate with the members of the registration/revalidation teams that will work all over the country to conduct the exercise.

“Our party’s membership registration/revalidation will be followed by activities for the party’s leadership reconstitution at all levels, from Ward, Local Government, States to National.

“Ahead of all that, the Caretaker Committee will release a detailed timetable for all activities very soon. And ahead of the Congresses and National Convention, competent party leaders will be invited to serve in Committees to ensure that the mandate of NEC is achieved before June 30, 2021.

‘Our congresses and National Convention will democratic and transparent. Our goal, in line with our founding vision is to return our party to the membership.

“As a party, we want to assure all our members that our commitment to lead the process of political change in Nigeria is unwavering. Our ability to constantly strengthen the structures of our party is part of our change credentials.

“Other important requirements, which will include the review of our rules and other operational requirements, which are needed to make our party and our elected representatives more accountable to Nigerians will be considered and all the necessary steps required will be taken.

“A democracy is as strong as the political parties it produces. We are rebuilding our party, APC, to strengthen our democracy”, the two leaders said in the statement.

The party, its leadership and membership, joined all Nigerians to celebrate the commencement of another year – 2021, while appreciating God for sparing lives to see this New Year.

According to the APC, surviving year 2020 was very difficult for humanity in every part of the world because of Covid-19 pandemic.

Reflecting on the past year, the party said “nations and governments had to shut down. A new normal, with all its adverse consequences on human life became the world reality. The struggle to save human life from the Covid-19 virus became the order of the day.

“Unfortunately, many lives were lost, and millions of people suffered as a result of being infected by the virus. Luckily, vaccine has been successfully developed in the end of 2020.

“With the vaccine, all nations of the world can begin to plan for return to normal life”.

It expressed confident that the APC government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, will take all the necessary measures to return Nigeria back to pre-Covid-19 normal conditions.